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Register for a free WaterWise workshop by the City of Frisco that will teach you "Tree Care: Tips and Tricks" to help with tree care, pruning, and how to make your trees thrive. The workshop will be held February 16th from Noon to 1 PM in Frisco.

The City of Frisco has approved a purchase of 390 acres of land from Brinkmann Ranch for $61,000,000 which has a proposed use of adding to the city park system as well as potential future economic development. The location of this property can be seen in the photo below:

After the past recessions that have hindered the housing market, many people are wondering where the housing market may be headed in the next few years. While there are various opinions on the exact direction and the time frame that corresponds to the outcome, there are several factors that give us a pretty intelligent indication of where the real estate market for housing is headed.

According to Mark Boud, chief economist for Metrostudy, residential housing starts will continue a slow and steady climb between now and 2020 when the number of new single family housing units will reach 1.45 million units. This number will finally be equal to the housing industry's long-term yearly average. He also forecasts the following:

The national housing market will continue to remain under-supplied (as it is currently) through 2020.

The market is overloaded with higher-priced housing and an overt shortage of lower-priced "starter" homes.

Most markets should see a continuing opening for land purchases and developments in the next two years.

Overall, the price of housing is still overvalued somewhat, although not as much as the years prior to the last housing recession.

For a more detailed breakdown by Mr. Boud, please view his full forecast here:

Recent findings from the Pew Research Center show how demographic forces are driving population changes and reshaping how we live:

~ Fewer Americans are married. Only half of U.S. adults today are married, down from 70% in 1950. The increase in unmarried adults was greatest in those ages 50 and older—75% in the same time span—reflecting the rising divorce rate for the age cohort.

~ More generations are living together. There are nearly 61 million multi-generational households in the U.S. as of 2014, which includes two or more adult generations or grandparents and grandchildren. Growing Asian and Hispanic populations, which are more likely to live in multi-generational households than whites, explain some of the rise.

~ Women might never make up half the workforce. Women represented 46.8% of the U.S. labor force in 2015, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the share of women in the workforce will peak at 47.1% in 2025 before tapering off. The gender pay gap is closing, however, and is even narrower for young adults, with working women ages 25 to 34 making 90% of what their male counterparts made.

~ Immigrants are driving workforce growth. Growth in the U.S. working-age population (ages 25 to 64) will be driven by immigrants and their U.S.-born children through 2035 because of a lack of U.S. born children with U.S. born parents. There would be 18 million fewer working-age adults in 2035 without immigrants.

~ The share of middle-income households is falling. In 2010, 59% of American adults lived in middle-income households—those with disposable incomes that are two-thirds to double the national median disposable income—down from 62% in 1991. The decline of middle-income households in the U.S. was mirrored across Western Europe, but most Western European countries had a larger share of adults in middle-income households that the U.S.

There are several single-lane roundabouts open and in use in the city of Frisco, Texas, and several more multi-lane roundabouts are either planned or are already under construction. You can learn more about those roundabouts here:

If you have Jimmy Buffett fever, be sure to get your concert tickets ASAP! They always sell out quickly, as Jimmy Buffett is a favorite of many North Texas residents. get in on the margaritaville madness!

Make a difference today in your own home, your family, your neighborhood, your community, your city, your state, your country, your world, your planet, your universe, but most importantly in your own heart and it will spill over into tomorrow. Choose love over hate, joy over sadness, compassion over apathy, knowledge over ignorance, courage over fear, understanding over judgment, forbearance over anger, tolerance over impatience, generosity over selfishness, and trust over uncertainty. Let go of negative thoughts.

A domino effect begins with just one domino. Choose to be that domino and watch the world change around you with just one small push. Push yourself to make peace within your heart and your home, then watch it affect those around you in a positive manner.

It is my wish that you will like and share this message in honor of International Peace Day today. We are all in this world together!